The present invention relates to a removable wall covering.
Ceramic wall tile is a popular wall covering commonly used in kitchens or baths. The tile is permanently attached to a wall using mortar or tile adhesive. The tiles are spaced apart with the front faces of the tile facing the room and the rear faces of the tile set in the adhesive. Grout fills the spaces between the sides of the tiles to form a hard, durable and watertight wall covering.
Conventional ceramic wall tiles are available in a wide variety of colors and patterns. However, only the front face of each tile is colored and glazed. The coloring agent and glazing agent are conventionally applied to the front face prior to the tile being fired in a kiln. The rear face and sides of the tile are hidden from view when installed and so are not colored or glazed. The rear and sides are also often grooved to enhance adherence of the adhesive and grout to the tile.
The sides of conventional ceramic wall tile are unfinished and irregular and do not define a constant gap between adjacent tiles. Instead, the grout is relied upon to give the appearance of a smooth, regular spacing between tiles. Specially shaped bullnose tiles must be used along the outer perimeter of the tiles to create a finished edge.
The tiles are selected so that the assembled tiles form a pleasing decorative wall pattern compatible with the color scheme or interior decoration of the room. Many find the aesthetic beauty of a ceramic wall an advantage over other wall coverings.
However, the permanent nature of conventional tile wall coverings is a disadvantage if redecoration is desired. Removing or replacing tile is dirty, inconvenient and expensive. As a result, tiles are not changed and an original tile pattern or color scheme remains a permanent part of the room. Yet many homeowners prefer to seasonally decorate room interiors, or wish to change color schemes occasionally. Thus the homeowner chooses either not to install ceramic tile, or to install the tile and lose the ability to redecorate the tiled portions of the wall.
Conventional ceramic tile wall coverings have a number of other disadvantages. Installing the tile with mortar and grout can be intimidating as a do-it-yourself home improvement, and skilled installation is expensive. Replacing damaged or stained tiles is difficult and may damage the wall. The tiles cannot be removed for cleaning.
Thus there is a need for an improved tile wall covering. The tiles should be easily removable for cleaning or replacement, and the tiles should be easily and inexpensively installed.
The present invention is directed to an improved tile wall covering having tiles that are removably attached to the wall. The wall covering is simple and inexpensive to install, and the installed tiles are easily removable for cleaning or replacement.
A tile wall covering having features of the present invention includes a number of rigid tiles fastened to a wall with a disengageable-reengageable fastener that is designed to removably fasten two items together. Adhesive cement or grout is not needed, making for easy installation.
The fastener may be a pressure type or contact type such as a hook and loop type fastener. One portion of the fastener is attached to the tile and the other portion of the fastener is attached to the wall. The wall can be a conventional wall suitable for installing conventional ceramic tile. The tiles are pressed against the wall so that the fastener portions removably hold the tiles to the wall. The tile can be removed by pulling the tile away from the wall.
The tiles are preferably mounted on the wall with each tile abutting its neighboring tiles to form a continuous wall covering. The sides of the tile are finished and smooth so that practically gap-free joints extend along the abutting sides of the tiles. The finished sides also suitably finish the outer perimeter of the tiles. Bullnose tiles or other specialized perimeter tiles are not needed.
The front face of each tile is colored so that the assembled tiles form a predefined pattern or color scheme. The color of each tile preferably extends to and covers the sides of the tile. It has been found that if the sides of the tiles are left uncolored, a line effect may be seen between the tiles that may detract from the overall appearance of the assembled tiles. If desired, the edges of the tile may be left uncolored or may be colored in a contrasting color from that of the front face to accentuate the line effect.
In a first embodiment, the tiles are substantially flat and planar ceramic tiles. The attached fastener portions adhere to the rear face. When the tiles are held on the wall, the fasteners are located between the rear surface of the plate and the wall and space the tiles off the wall.
In a second embodiment, the fastener portions are attached to fastener surfaces spaced inwardly from the rear face of the ceramic tile. The fastener surfaces are sufficiently recessed so that the rear face of the tile can be held flush against the wall.
The wall covering of the present invention may be provided as a kit. The kit includes a plurality of tiles to cover a predetermined wall area. The fasteners are preferably included as a separate component to be attached to the tiles and the wall during installation of the tiles. The kit could be used for new installations or for redecorating existing installations of the present invention.
Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating two embodiments of the invention, of which there are four sheets.